Each year, Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD) has a two week “Ag Camp” where deaf and hard of hearing students from not only KY but also Ohio, come together and spend two weeks learning all different manners of Agriculture related topics. From field trips to local farms, to hands on planting and building at the KY School for the Deaf farm, students are exposed to knew and diverse topics that help them understand the way agriculture enterprises function.  

This year, the theme was Horticulture by Design. So, naturally the union between the Boyle Co. Horticulture agent and KSD was formed. With the help of a Master Gardener, 18 campers did a field walk to learn to identify plants that have been traditionally used in folklore medicines to heal things such as beestings and coughs. Campers then learned about plant propagation and the value of cloning plants via cuttings in comparison to starting from seed. Campers also made bug spray derived from natural plant oils to use throughout the summer.  

All of these lessons tied back to campers learning the many different ways horticulture can be used, and how enterprises are formed from it. Whether it is plants used for oils, seeds, fruit, fiber and the many different way enterprises throughout history have maximized efficiency in producing those products with things like sexual and asexual reproduction.